The Bottom Line
John Corigliano's Red Violin Concerto has qualities similar to the compositions of Gustav Mahler. Corigliano's music is wonderfully orchestrated, full of color - harmonically and rhythmically, and heavy with mood. Just listening to the third movement (Andante flautando) alone demonstrates these qualities. Also on the album is Corigliano's Violin Sonata, a distinctively 20th Century American composition full of rhythmic variety and tonality mixed with atonality. If you loved the music from the movie The Red Violin, bottom line is you'll love this album.
Pros
- Highly energetic, full of color, and passionately performed
- Joshua Bell is to the violin as Yo-Yo Ma is to the cello - magnificent!
- John Corigliano is the modern day Gustav Mahler
Cons
- A con for some, certain movements in the Red Violin Concerto are too abrasive for "easy listening"
- Less impressed with the Violin Sonata
Description
- Released September 4, 2007
- 1 CD, 7 Tracks
- Total Play Time: 62:22
Guide Review - The Red Violin Concerto
John Corigliano's Red Violin Concerto is a direct continuation of his highly performed Red Violin: Chaconne for Violin and Orchestra, a seventeen minute piece of music composed for the movie The Red Violin. The problem faced by Corigliano (and many other composers) was that his Chaconne wasn't long enough to be played as a single concert, so it was often accompanied by several other small works to complete a full concert. To remedy the situation, Corigliano completed three movements and combined them with his Chaconne. The result is a fascinating, highly organic body of work. The first movement is the Chaconne, the movement any lover of the movie will instantly recognize (Preview, Purchase and Download). The second movement is full of soft energy, which contrasts the romanticism present in the first movement (Preview, Purchase and Download). The third movement begins with a Mahler like opening full of lush chords and great depth of color, leading to a sadly beautiful melody played by the solo violin Preview, Purchase and Download). The work's finale is concerto's "powerhouse". Corigliano deploys a striking technique of "string crunching" to create unique and provocative effect. String crunching is what you get when Day 1 violin students try playing the violin - the pressure of the bow on the strings is so heavy when pulled across it makes no tonal sound, just a crunch. Corigliano uses this crunch to create a high energy sound, and when combined with the fast tempo of the work, the results are short of spectacular.As for the Violin Sonata, I was less impressed, especially since it follows the Red Violin Concerto. As I said before, it's your typical 20th Century American music full of exaggerated and varied rhythms, as well as atonal and tonal harmonies. I see it as a piece of music to fill up the rest of the space on the CD.
